Converting between men's and women's sizing isn't intuitive — the systems were built independently and use different reference measurements. The general rule for tops and shirts: women's size = men's size + 2 letter sizes. A men's Small typically equals a women's Large.
For numeric sizing, women's = men's + 2 (so a men's 36 chest ≈ women's 6–8 in tops, depending on the brand). Pants are different: women's jeans use a sizing index (0, 2, 4, 6…) while men's use waist inches. A men's 32 waist is roughly a women's 14.
Shoes are the most common conversion. Add 1.5 to a men's US shoe size to get the women's equivalent (men's 8 = women's 9.5). The foot length in centimeters is identical — only the labeling differs.
Brands vary. Athletic brands like Nike and Adidas follow the +1.5 shoe rule strictly. Fashion brands sometimes round differently. Always check the brand's specific chart, then use this guide as your starting point.
Use our free Men to Women Size Converter tool to look up any size instantly across clothing and shoes.